FOOTBALL: Deeping Rangers’ poor record at Eynesbury Rovers goes on

Deeping Rangers left the Alfred Hall Memorial Ground empty handed for the third time in succession as Eynesbury Rovers edged the UCL Premier Division tie 1-0 with a well taken goal in the second half.

Both sides started brightly but it was the home side who carried the greater attacking threat until Deeping mounted a late flurry to try and retrieve something from the game.

Rovers’ Allan Owen was to prove to be a thorn for the visiting central defenders and he gave an early warning as he raced through them to bear down on goal but the deputising Danny Bircham made himself big and the shot was wide.

Eynesbury’s Hayden Bream fed Owen, he beat the defender Luke Hunnings to shoot to the near post that Bircham took off of defender Dan Flack, Bircham then saved from Bream’s long range effort.

Deeping were toiling to get into the game, Charlie Coulson sent Flack wide, his pull back found Coulson whose shot was blocked by the retreating Macauley Clark, Scott Coupland’s corner was taken by Scott Mooney, but his shot was blocked on the post by Clark.

A defence splitting pass from the home side’s Danny Webb sent Owen in behind the Rangers back line where his shot was well saved by Bircham’s out stretched hand, the ball fell for Craig Smith to shoot, the shot hitting the massed ranks of the defenders.

Rangers’ best spell of the half came as the end approached, they worked the ball across the home box for Coupland to set up Jason Kilbride, the shot was weak and did not trouble Jamie Greygoose in the home goal.

Flack’s throw-in allowed Coulson to find Coupland his shot being dealt with by James Duckett.

Their best chance came as Mooney ran at the Rovers defence, he passed to Coupland, he in turn found Coulson deep in the box to see his shot bobble beyond the far post.

The home side made the decisive breakthrough on 51 minutes, Owen capitalised on Deeping’s hesitancy, advanced goalwards and slid the ball past the out-coming Bircham.

Rangers were rescued from conceding another goal by Flack; from defending a corner Eynesbury broke swiftly down-field, Owen made his way into the Deeping box where Flack made a great challenge to stop the threat.

Owen out-battled Hunnings to get into the box and his shot was net bound but Craig Smith got a touch to make sure, only he was offside.

Mooney went close to levelling the scores, he got in behind the home back line and fired a lobbed effort which had Greygroose back pedaling to take.

Rangers skipper David Burton-Jones created space for a shot to be thwarted by a very good block by Rovers substitute Callum Stockwell and Hunnings did well to halt another forceful run from Owen.

Deeping were now exerting some pressure, Mooney exchanged passes with Kilbride to shoot from the edge of the box where a deflection took it into the hands of Greygoose. Coupland’s corner was met by Hunnings to see the header cleared off the line by Bream,

Owen combined with Stockwell to shoot where Bircham gathered at second attempt.

Rangers were very close to earning a point from their visit when substitute Will Bird headed Flack’s cross downwards, and net bound, only for Greygoose to produce a fine save to scoop the ball away off the line, another good Flack cross saw Tom Coles head over as a couple of Deeping players were about to pounce.